site.btaFriedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Bulgaria Office Marks 30th Anniversary

Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Bulgaria Office, marked its 30th anniversary on Saturday. The event was attended by Vice President Iliana Iotova, German Ambassador Irene Maria Plank, politicians and public figures, among others.

Vice President Iotova said successful policy is social and fair, the President's press secretariat said. She said: "It is very tempting - in Bulgaria and in Europe - to make politics without values. Some will say values are a thing of the past, who needs them when you have a great symbiosis between money, power and clout, and you can easily fulfil your goals. Those who make politics without values have no real supporters, but people who join them out of fear and for profit. Whereas those who profess values can lead people and know that politics in the name of people is more important than power."

The Vice President said that for 30 years, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung has been working in Bulgaria for values and with value concepts, and has built an entire generation of people who are trying to build an environment where interests are not the top priority. "We want a more predictable and intelligent environment that motivates people to be creative, where words like justice and fighting inequalities really matter," she said.

With its work, the Foundation shows the importance of political literacy, even though many people now believe they were born politicians, the Vice President said. She noted the Foundation's attention to young people and its research on their expectations and aspirations. "You are strong, look for like-minded people and change what you don't like - this is the important message you are sending to young Bulgarians," said Iotova.

She recalled what German President Friedrich Ebert said 100 years ago: "Without democracy there is no freedom. Violence, no matter who is using it, is always reactionary." She said that now people are faced with the same problem: to fight for democracy and to keep the door closed to injustice and violence.